United Natural Foods (UNFI)
NYSE:UNFI
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Earnings Data
Report Date
Oct 06, 2026After Close (Confirmed)
Period Ending
2026 (Q4)Consensus EPS Forecast
0.62Last Year’s EPS
-0.11Same Quarter Last Year
Moderate Buy
Based on 7 Analysts Ratings
Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call highlighted meaningful progress on profitability, cash generation and balance sheet improvement — with adjusted EBITDA up ~17%, adjusted EPS improving materially, free cash flow growth and a lower net leverage ratio. Management also emphasized tangible early benefits from AI and supply chain investments, new digital offerings and private brand innovation. However, these positives are tempered by a reported 4.2% sales decline driven by strategic optimization actions (450 bps impact), a nearly 14% drop in conventional sales, retail store closures, the unwind of project-based work (~200 bps drag), and near-term pressure from rising fuel/transportation costs and consumer headwinds. On balance, the company demonstrated strong execution on margins, cash flow and deleveraging while acknowledging top-line and macro challenges, and reiterated confidence in returning to low-single-digit sales growth in fiscal 2027.Company Guidance
Strong Profitability and Margin Expansion
Adjusted EBITDA grew nearly 17% year-over-year to $183 million, with adjusted EBITDA margin expanding ~40 basis points to ~2.4% of net sales. Adjusted EPS increased to $0.77 from $0.44 in the prior year.
Robust Free Cash Flow and Deleveraging
Generated $54 million of free cash flow in Q3 and $243 million year-to-date (an increase of $90 million YoY). Net leverage reduced to 2.5x, an improvement of 0.8 turns year-over-year, with net debt of $1.63 billion (lowest since fiscal 2018).
Revenue and Business Mix — Natural Growth
Natural product sales grew by over 4% (underlying natural growth outperformed the market and showed mid-teens growth on a 2-year stack over recent quarters). Underlying business, excluding optimization and project unwind, performed in line with the estimate for the $90 billion target addressable market (low single-digit growth).
Cost Discipline and Operating Efficiency
Operating expenses declined nearly 7% year-over-year and operating expense rate improved ~40 basis points to 12.4% of net sales. Distribution center (DC) productivity increased by over 7%.
Network and Technology Investments Delivering Early Benefits
AI-powered supply chain and procurement planning platform expanded to all DCs; on-time deliveries up over 4% year-to-date and average miles per delivery down nearly 5%. Expanded cloud-based warehouse management to 5 additional DCs and rolled out AI-powered fleet management (Samsara) features.
Strategic Product and Service Innovations
Launched digital marketplace 'Endless Aisle' to help retailers access emerging brands and introduced more than 30 new SKUs in private brands to support retailer differentiation and shopper demand.
Capital Structure Improvements and Share Repurchases
Made a $115 million voluntary prepayment on senior notes reducing that 2028 maturity to $385 million; refinanced $2.53 billion ABL to April 2031 reducing annual borrowing cost by about $2 million. Repurchased nearly 1 million shares for ~$38 million (average price $37.88) year-to-date.
Reiterated and Narrowed Guidance with Confidence
Reiterated outlook midpoints across key metrics and narrowed ranges for net sales, net income, EPS, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS, citing high-confidence forecasting and accelerated profitability benefits in the quarter.
UNFI Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed
UNFI Earnings-Related Price Changes
Report Date | Price 1 Day Before | Price 1 Day After | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Jun 09, 2026 | $51.64 | $46.33 | -10.28% |
Mar 10, 2026 | $38.84 | $37.68 | -2.99% |
Dec 02, 2025 | $34.36 | $35.95 | +4.63% |
Sep 30, 2025 | $31.76 | $37.62 | +18.45% |
Earnings announcements can affect a stock’s price. This table shows the stock's price the day before and the day after recent earnings reports, including the percentage change.
FAQ
When does United Natural Foods (UNFI) report earnings?
United Natural Foods (UNFI) is schdueled to report earning on Oct 06, 2026, After Close (Confirmed).
What is United Natural Foods (UNFI) earnings time?
United Natural Foods (UNFI) earnings time is at Oct 06, 2026, After Close (Confirmed).
Where can I see when companies are reporting earnings?
You can see which companies are reporting today on our designated earnings calendar.
What companies are reporting earnings today?
You can see a list of the companies which are reporting today on TipRanks earnings calendar.
What is UNFI EPS forecast?
UNFI EPS forecast for the fiscal quarter 2026 (Q4) is 0.62.
